MATCHUP BREAKDOWN
Brian Batko analyzes Sunday’s game from both sides of the ball.
WHEN THE RAVENS HAVE THE BALL
Key performers: QB Lamar Jackson, RB Mark Ingram, WR Marquise Brown, WR Willie Snead, TE Mark Andrews, TE Nick Boyle, LT Ronnie Stanley, RG Marshal Yanda. What’s been working: The Ravens offense has been so effective that nearly half of the key performers above are not going to play. They don’t need to, given that Baltimore already has locked up the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Instead, former No. 2 overall pick Robert Griffin III will start at quarterback and Gus Edwards will start at running back. Marshal Yanda also is sitting out this game, and it remains to be seen how much Marquise Brown, Mark Andrews and the other offensive standouts play in a matchup that’s meaningless for the postseason. Who’s hot (or not): Even without Yanda, the Ravens still will face off against the Steelers with one of the best offensive lines in the league. Since allowing five sacks at Heinz Field in Week 5, the Ravens have just one game with more than one sack allowed and are coming off a zero-sack outing last week at Cleveland. Only three teams have allowed fewer sacks on the season than Baltimore’s 25. Now, the job is to keep “RGIII” upright. Game plan: The big question is how much the Ravens offense will resemble its usual high-powered self by swapping out the likely league MVP with an aging quarterback who hasn’t started a game in three years. Don’t expect the approach to change too much, other than more handoffs to shorten a game that can only hurt the Ravens one way, and that’s if they suffer an injury to a critical player. Keep an eye on: Edwards has been the backup to Ingram all season, so if the Ravens want to keep their top two backs healthy, they might show more of Justice Hill than ever. A rookie fourthrounder who played with Mason Rudolph and James Washington at Oklahoma State, Hill scored his first NFL touchdown last week but hasn’t had more than eight carries in a game. He’s also coming off a career-high three catches out of the backfield and has home run speed.
WHEN THE STEELERS HAVE THE BALL
Key performers: DL Brandon Williams, NT Michael Pierce, LB Matthew Judon, LB Tyus Bowser, CB Marcus Peters, CB Marlon Humphrey, CB Brandon Carr, S Earl Thomas. What’s been working: The Ravens have been a different defense since acquiring opportunistic veteran cornerback Marcus Peters two weeks after their first matchup with the Steelers. He has three interceptions in nine games with his new team, which has allowed just one rushing touchdown this month and none in the past three games. The Ravens are also tied for the league lead with three fumbles returned for touchdowns to go with two pick-6s, though Brandon Williams and Earl Thomas won’t suit up for this one. Who’s hot (or not): Rookie pass-rusher Jaylon Ferguson has had at least a half-sack in two of the past three games and seven quarterback hits over that same span. He has seen his playing time increase since playing just 21 snaps the previous time against the Steelers, and has played at least half the defensive snaps every week since. Ferguson also has just one missed tackle this season, per pro-football-reference.com. Game plan: The Ravens might not be quite as stout up front without Williams on the defensive line, but you should still expect them to stack the box against a Steelers offense that continues to be plagued by inconsistency. With Duck Hodges handing out interceptions left and right, they’ll want to try to establish Benny Snell or Kerrith Whyte on the ground, and the Ravens know it. Keep an eye on: Pro Bowl edge-rusher Matthew Judon leads the Ravens with 8.5 sacks, and while it’s unclear how much he’ll play given his importance to this defense, he also ranks sixth in the NFL in sacks combined with quarterback hits. Even in limited action, he can make life difficult on Hodges early and often, especially with the Steelers having allowed four sacks apiece in back-to-back games.